New Retro Arcade: Neon

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 950 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
New Retro Arcade: Neon Game Cover
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"New Retro Arcade: Neon" is a virtual reality game that brings a nostalgic arcade experience to life with its neon-lit design. Players can explore a variety of classic arcade games, minigames, and create their own custom cabinets. This game also supports local multiplayer, allowing friends to join in on the retro fun.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 950 reviews
music28 positive mentions
stability32 negative mentions
  • Incredible atmosphere that captures the essence of 80s and 90s arcades, making players feel nostalgic.
  • Highly customizable, allowing players to add their own ROMs, music, and videos, creating a personal arcade experience.
  • Fun mini-games included, such as bowling, darts, and air hockey, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Setting up the game can be complicated and time-consuming, requiring knowledge of emulators and ROMs.
  • Multiplayer functionality is limited, as players cannot share or play ROMs together, reducing the social aspect.
  • Some emulators and games may not work properly, leading to crashes and frustrating experiences.
  • music133 mentions

    The music aspect of the game is highly customizable, allowing players to create their own mix tapes and play personal music selections, which enhances the nostalgic arcade atmosphere. While the setup process can be complex, the payoff is significant, as players can immerse themselves in a retro environment filled with their favorite 80s and 90s tracks. However, some users noted issues with streaming capabilities and the need for extensive tinkering to achieve the desired audio experience.

    • “The 80s atmosphere with the awesome lighting and music creates an experience that is absolutely unparalleled.”
    • “Although it takes some work to set up, there is a huge payoff in the nostalgia you will feel standing in front of an arcade cabinet, playing your favorite game, with 80s music playing in the background.”
    • “The game has a great sense of atmosphere, everything from the color scheme to the sound of the 80's music is perfect.”
    • “The ability to stream music and videos is almost totally broken.”
    • “You have to either make an empty tape or just put it as far as you can because of the obnoxiously loud music it plays.”
    • “The attract-audio of the single cabinet in the smallest room cannot be turned off, meaning that you gotta play the SNES in a room with an unchangeable arcade that blasts out quite annoying music.”
  • graphics113 mentions

    The graphics in this game are widely praised for their stunning realism and attention to detail, particularly in recreating the nostalgic 80s arcade aesthetic. Users appreciate the ability to customize cabinet artwork and settings, although achieving optimal visuals requires significant effort and technical know-how. While the initial experience may suffer from low resolution and optimization issues, the overall graphical quality, especially when set up correctly, is considered exceptional, making it a standout in VR arcade experiences.

    • “The graphics in this title are exceptional too!”
    • “The graphics are outstanding and the visuals on the arcade machines, fake SNES, and Game Boy look very realistic.”
    • “That being said, New Retro Arcade: Neon really nails the 80s arcade feel, and looks stunning graphically and aesthetically, and once you get your arcade set up just the way you want it, you'll never want to leave.”
    • “You need a degree in video editing and graphic design to get attract movies and posters to appear correctly.”
    • “While the VR implementation has visually striking scenery atmosphere and visuals, the interactivity is bare bones, with nothing but teleportation for movement.”
    • “NRA looks impressive even with lower-end computers when using low-resolution graphics/artwork and no attract videos, but in order to achieve a truly amazing arcade look, you need to use all the features available at high details, which can hit your wallet in the form of a high-end gaming PC.”
  • atmosphere68 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic 80s and 90s arcade vibe, enhanced by detailed graphics, immersive soundtracks, and a variety of interactive elements. Players appreciate the attention to detail and the overall authenticity, making it a standout experience for retro gaming enthusiasts. However, some users note that while the atmosphere is excellent, certain gameplay aspects, like interactivity and multiplayer support, could be improved.

    • “One of the most nostalgic, atmospheric, immersive, and purely magical experiences I've ever felt playing a game.”
    • “The 80s atmosphere with the awesome lighting and music creates an experience that is absolutely unparalleled.”
    • “The atmosphere is engrossing and the attention to detail is awesome.”
    • “While the VR implementation has visually striking scenery and atmosphere, the interactivity is bare bones, with nothing but teleportation for movement.”
    • “Finding this atmosphere is basically impossible these days.”
    • “If you are up to fiddling around a lot and configuring the game yourself, I guess it is an okay 80's arcade simulator with an authentic atmosphere.”
  • stability34 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and freezing issues across various platforms, particularly with emulation and arcade cabinet functionality. While some players noted that the app is well-optimized for certain hardware, the overall experience is marred by the need for extensive troubleshooting and the prevalence of minor to major inconveniences. Many reviewers feel that the game currently resembles an early access title due to its instability.

    • “The app is very well optimized and runs great on a 1060 3GB, even with good supersampling.”
    • “This game is very buggy right now, it almost should have been an early access game.”
    • “Emulation itself is very buggy, had all sorts of issues with sticking controls, audio cut-outs, etc.”
    • “It doesn't give you any warning about the obscene amount of troubleshooting that's necessary to get an arcade cabinet running.”
  • optimization30 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some users praising Nvidia DLSS support for enhancing performance and anti-aliasing, while others report initial issues like blurriness and low resolution, particularly on high-end hardware. Tweaking in-game settings can negatively impact performance, and there are specific notes about video files affecting gameplay. Overall, while some players experience solid VR performance, others encounter stuttering and control optimization issues, indicating that further improvements are needed.

    • “Nvidia DLSS support for better performance and better anti-aliasing.”
    • “The app is also very well optimized, runs great on a 1060 3GB, even with good super sampling.”
    • “And performance on a 970 is great, much better than I had expected.”
    • “Initial blurry and low resolution / bad optimization - I have a good 3x series graphics card and am using the Index headset, but when launching the game it looked very bad with blur and jaggies.”
    • “Tweaking the in-game video settings really hurt my performance.”
    • “I’m using WMR and the controls are definitely not optimized for it.”
  • story22 mentions

    The reviews indicate that the game lacks a substantial story, focusing instead on the nostalgic experience of reliving the mid-80s arcade culture through VR. Players express joy in the immersive environment but note that the narrative aspect is minimal or non-existent. Overall, the emphasis is on the gameplay experience rather than a compelling storyline.

    • “Fantastic work of art; I just wish it would get a release for the Oculus Quest, then I would not have to stream it to my headset.”
    • “First was Wolfenstein 3D, then Doom, Quake, but with the introduction of VR technology on the Oculus Quest 2 and New Retro Arcade Neon, I can transport myself back in time to the mid-80s with all my favorite arcade songs, movies, console games, etc. It just brings so much joy as reality slips away when I'm walking through my 80's arcade.”
    • “Story: doesn't have”
    • “Let’s just stall those guys indefinitely with the same story about the mythical coder who'll 'look at it'…”
    • “Fantastic work of art just wish it would get a release for the oculus quest then I would not have to stream it to my headset”
  • gameplay12 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its potential but criticizing the clunky teleportation mechanic and poorly executed physics, which detract from the overall experience. Players also noted the lack of multiplayer features, such as the inability to observe others' gameplay, leading to frustration during sessions.

    • “Gameplay: 10/10”
    • “Gameplay: 10/10”
    • “The teleportation mechanic is clunky.”
    • “Unfortunately the physics, the 'grip' of the ball, and overall game mechanics (in VR) are cheaply done and bring little to no value to the title.”
    • “I can understand the reason behind this but it basically means that most of your play session is spent fighting against this mechanic, searching for the circle if you physically moved outside of it.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    Players express a profound emotional connection to the game, often feeling transported back to their childhoods in the 80s and 90s. The nostalgic elements, such as the attract screens and music, evoke strong feelings of joy and sentimentality, leading to moments of laughter and tears as they reminisce about their past experiences. Overall, the game successfully taps into deep emotional memories, creating a powerful and immersive experience.

    • “This is the first game (not even VR, just a game) that made me feel like I was 10 or 11 years old again.”
    • “I'm physically and emotionally excited as I play this.”
    • “The first two songs had me laughing and crying (deep emotional happy crying), remembering what an experience that time frame was for me.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted through nostalgic elements that evoke both laughter and deep emotional responses, particularly from the music and hidden features like amusing newspaper clippings and a clumsy robot. Players find it amusing to recommend a retro arcade experience despite investing heavily in modern VR technology, showcasing the game's charm and relatability.

    • “It's kind of funny that I spent $2500+ on a Vive setup and I'm recommending an old 80s/90s arcade as one of the ultimate experiences you can get for it.”
    • “The first two songs had me laughing and crying (deep emotional happy crying), remembering what an experience that time frame was for me.”
    • “The game also has lots of interesting 'hidden' features like the humorous newspaper clippings on the wall, and the little robot that wanders about (that I have to keep picking up and putting back on its feet).”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Users highlight that the ability to switch between VR controllers and traditional gamepads, like the Steam or Xbox controller, significantly enhances the replayability of games, making them more accessible and enjoyable. This flexibility allows for varied gameplay experiences, encouraging players to revisit titles.

  • monetization2 mentions

    Users express strong dissatisfaction with the monetization strategy, particularly criticizing the excessive advertising associated with the game.

  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, requiring significant effort to achieve progress.

    • “But it's incredibly tedious in the way you have to get everything to work.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

Buy New Retro Arcade: Neon

Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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